January 16, 2006

"The Katrina Cleanup Continues"

Marsha and I have just returned from New Orleans, Louisiana where we were a part of a Bishops and Spouses mission work team to help with the continuing cleanup from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.  Even though the national media have seemingly forgotten the victims of Katrina, the needs continue.  In fact, the truly incredible thing about New Orleans is the immense nature of the disaster.  Still today, there are literally miles and miles of homes which are uninhabitable, with no water, no sewage service, and no electricity.  Many estimates suggest as many as 200,000 homes are still not fit for people to live in.  Only about 25% of the population of New Orleans has returned -- because there are no jobs and no places to live.  Much of the city is simply deserted, with homes and business sitting full of contaminated flood water. Even though I lived through the devastating floods in North Dakota in 1997, I have never seen anything to compare to the magnitude of the destruction caused by Katrina.

So we went as bishops and spouses to see for ourselves the needs and to offer some small efforts to help and some words of hope.  We worked to help "muck out" houses in New Orleans, we met with Louisiana conference officials who are doing a good job of organizing their "Storm Response" centers with UMCOR help, we heard much appreciation for the "Pastors Helping Pastors" fund which our Indiana Area and other United Methodist Conferences have provided to help them pay their pastors who still have displaced congregations, we toured the beautiful campus of Dillard University (one of our historic Black Colleges) and saw their efforts to clean out and rebuild while starting up classes again in a hotel (and having 1100 students enrolled for this semester), we attended a meeting with the Governor of Louisiana and heard her latest proposals to get Louisiana going again, and we even had time to celebrate with several local church folks -- including my opportunity to preach at the Munholland UMC yesterday for their Sunday services.

All in all it was a productive trip, and it made me proud to be a United Methodist and to see how UMCOR and the Louisiana Conference are responding and helping people.  Just last week, they hosted 90 work teams of volunteers who came to do work like our team did.  It is messy, dirty, moldy, and even dangerous work.  Many people I encountered have what they call the "Katrina Cough" from being around so much mold and polluted water.  And yet the United Methodists are responding.  Congregations which are not even able to meet for worship continue to give to support these relief efforts, and Bishop Hutchinson shared his joyful report that their 2005 apportionments came in at 95% - with many churches paying extra to cover the apportionments of those displaced congregations. 

I was too embarrassed to report how low our apportionments were paid in Indiana for 2005 -- only 80% in the North Conference and only 75% in the South Conference.  How sad that we don't maintain faithful support of our conference's and our denomination's  mission structures in the midst of our comfort and plenty -- while the people of the Louisiana Conference are keeping the faith at 95%.  For the first time in my ministry, I was truly embarrassed to be serving here in Indiana.

But it is not too late for us to help.  We can continue to give and support the "Pastors Helping Pastors" fund (I have asked all pastors to send a mere $10 from each paycheck to this fund through the Indiana Area Foundation in my office to help pay the salaries of the pastors of those displaced pastors in Louisiana).  We can all give to the Bishops' Appeal for "Rebuilding Churches After Katrina" and take up a special offering for that appeal.  And we have also agreed to help in the Mississippi Conference by constructing a dormitory for the housing of volunteer work teams in the Biloxi area.  Both Louisiana and Mississippi Conferences need a continual supply of volunteer work teams, so get together a team and contact one of those conferences to set up a time and place to help out.

Many have forgotten Katrina and its victims. But we in the church cannot forget.  We are called to help and to make a difference.

from Bishop Michael J. Coyner

Indiana Area of the United Methodist Church
"Making a Difference ... in Indiana
and around the world"

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